Wednesday, 18th January, 2023
Well, you know we visited Nassau in the Bahamas as the last post was from there. It should have been Havana in Cuba, but this had been cancelled due to the difficulties the USA put on those who have visited Cuba and who might then be seeking a visa to the States. I am not sure why Fred Olsen actually included it in the itinerary as this problem has been around for some time, but there we are.
I have to say that I suspect that Havana has a lot more interest to it than Nassau. The city itself has somewhere in the region of 270,000 people living in it and accounts for some 70% of the population of the Bahamas (a primate city, I have been advised). The main sights are a bit underwhelming, bar one (see below) and virtually all of the main part of the city is dedicated to tourists. Indeed, we were one of 3 cruise ships tied up at the quay, so that would mean around 5,000 tourists all in one go. I have to say that I have never seen so many diamond and jewellery shops in one place.
There are some nice old colonial buildings, not always in the most pristine of condition, but generally valued which is good. These shared the street with some more modern and less appealing structures that seemed to be premises for endless lawyers and accountants.
Val and I wandered the streets for a while resisting some pricey offers of tours and, of course, tracking down some reliable Wi-Fi. Val then went back to the ship and I ventured out to recce a bit further afield. It would have been nice to have the time to explore further afield, but that, sadly, is the downside of cruising. That said, we did get a good feel for Nassau, which left us feeling decidedly underwhelmed as it has very little charm for the most part.
One peculiar quirk of the Bahamas is that though they drive on the left, many of the vehicles are left-hand drive. Not sure why unless it is the proximity to the USA and the ease of getting cars from there.
It was lovely and warm in Nassau at about 24 degrees, which has made it feel as though we are now getting well into the cruise. Next stop is Colon, Panama, where we were due to go on a tour to Panama City, but instead we will be taken to a hospital to have Val’s neck and shoulder looked at after her tumble in the bathroom. It is still very sore, especially at night, so it is best to have it investigated.
19th to 21st January, 2023
Well, of course, 19th January is my birthday (and my brother James’s too – happy birthday!!) but unfortunately I picked up a bit of a sore throat and cough that is doing the rounds, so after checking it was not Covid (it wasn’t), I self-isolated for the day to try and get over it quickly and not spread it to anyone else. Not all bad as I was able to watch Andy Murray win his 2nd round match at the Australian Open and Tottenham lose to Manchester City as well as finish ‘The Man who Died Twice’ by Richard Osman (excellent!) and make a start on ‘The Gates of Athens’ by Conn Iggulden. Room Service even brought a cake to my cabin!
Val had packed a couple of presents for me – a very useful gadget for holding the iPad and an equally useful multi tool that just about can do anything!
We are, of course back at sea and playing our usual round of activities, some now outdoors…
The good news is I am feeling much better other than one of those annoying coughs that only seem to manifest itself when you lie down, which makes sleeping tricky (for both of us). Luckily we are not pressed for engagements, so can have a rest when required.
Sunday, 22nd January, 2023
Ola from Panama! Hopefully this will post OK and I will catch up before with all the news from here in the next post. All well, though I still have a bit of a cough and have lost my voice pretty much. Which will make karaoke tonight a bit of a challenge – for everyone!
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